Primer for internal-combustion engines.



w. 0. RENTZ, JR. PRIMER FOR INTERNALCOMBUSTION ENGINES,

APPLICAHON FILED NOV. 21,1914.

1 1503859 Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

w. c. RENTZ, 1R.

PRIMER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, I914.

Patented Aug. 17

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Parana OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. RENTZ, JR.,

or ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

PRIMER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

Application filed November 21, 1914. Serial No. 873,332.

chambers of the several cylinders of the engine, in the proper andrequisite quantity for each cylinder, the distributing means beingmanually controlled by the operator in his seat in the machine, also torender the apparatus safe by preventing any possibility of back firefrom the engine, and by maintaming the feed pipes for the priming agentin an empty and dry condition when not in use. I 1

l further object of the invention is to pro- -vide means for controllingthe delivery'of the priming agent from the reservoir to the feed pipes,and also means for controlling the discharge ends of said pipes, thesaid controlling means being operable independently of each other,whereby the supply ot' priming agent to the cylinders may be measured orregulated in accordance with weather and other conditions and wherebyalso the safety of the apparatus is further increased. v

Another object of the invention is to em- 7 body the invention in anapparatus which is capable of being easily applied to any internalcombustion engine already in use, requiring no material alteration ofthe engine or any part thereof.

lVith the above and other objects in view,

- the invention consists in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1. is a 'view partly in .sideelevation and partly in section illustrating the application :of thisinvention to an internal combustion engine as use'd in automobiles andthe like.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the engine, showing the dash controls for thepriming apparatus. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the reservoir for'the priming agent, showing the valvemechanism. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail elevation showing one of thespark plugs and one of the chambered valve casings used in connectiontherewith and supported thereby. Fig. 5 is a diametrical section throughthe chambered valve casing shown in Fig. 4, showing the valve. Fig. 6 isa view partly in side elevae -tion and partly in section of one of thespark plugs. Fig. 7 is a View partly in side elevation and partly insection showing a modified form of the priming apparatus. Fig. 8 is asection through the reservoir illustrating-another modificationemploying a single controlling valve. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section onthe line 9-9ot' Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings A generally designates an internal combustionengine which is conventionally shown.

2 designates the radiator used in conjunction therewith in automobilepractice, 3 the dash of the motor vehicle, 4: the engine hood and 5 thereturn pipe of the water circulation system, all of said parts being ofthe usual construction and relative arrangement.

In carrying out the present invention, I employ a reservoir 6 forcontaining a priming agent of any descriptlon preferably in liquid form,said reservoir 6 being arranged at a suitable elevation above the engineto give the requisite fall for the priming agent. By reference to Fig. 3it will be seen that the reservoir 6 is provided in the bottomv thereofwith a series of valve casings 7, there being one of said casings foreach cylinder of the engine. Adjacent'to the bottom of the reservoir 6,each valve casing 7 is provided with inlet holes 8 and with an internalvalve seat 9 in connection with which operates a valve 10 shown as ofthe poppet type. The stem 11 of each valve passes through a guideopening 12 in the upper end of the valve casing and above said casing itis provided with a flange or shoulder 13 against which presses one endof a coiled expansion spring 1a the opposite or lower extremity ofWhich-bears ceive a threaded nipple 31 preferably pro against a shoulder15 on the valve casing 7. The spring l-l therefore acts to hold thevalve 10 normally closed.

In order to simultaneously open all of the valves 10, I employ a commonoperating bar 16 which is provided with holes 17 for the stems 12 of thevalves. Bearing against the upper side of the common operating bar 16 isthe expanded base lb of a plunger stem 19 which works through a stullingbox 20 in the top of the reservoir (5 where it is adapted to be actedupon by the arm 21 of a valve operating lever 22 fulcrumed at '23 on thereservoir 6 and having attached thereto an oper ating connection 2twhich extends, through thevdash 3 where it is provided with an operatinghead or handle :25 within reach of the operator in his seat.

26 designates a plug for closing the inlet or filling opening of thereservoir (5.

Each of the valve casings 7 extends throughthe bottom wall of thereservoir (3 and suliiciently below the same to allow for the formationtherein of annpen air vent .27 which is provided for the purpose ofallowing moisture to eyaporajietrom the feed pipe connected therewithare hereinafter particularly referred to and also to admit air to saidpipe to allow the priming liquid to feed through the pi pe; The lowerextremity of each valve casing T is reduced and thr *ad ed as shown toreceive a union '35 by which one of a series of feed pipes 29 is securedtightly to said valve casing. The pipes 29' are equal in number to thenumber of-cylinders ot' the engine, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,extend to points adjacent to the spark plugs ofthc several cylinders.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and (3, it will be observed that I employ aspecial form of spark plug which in addition to the usual constructionthereof embodies an L-shaped passage 30. The upper end of said passage30 extends laterally with respect to the spark plug and is internallythreaded to revided with right and left hand threads so that it may becrowed s multaneously into the passage referredto m the spark plug andinto an internally threaded opening in a chambered valve casing 33 shownas provided with a nipple 3t to which the dis-f charge end of one of thedistributing pipes 29 is connected. The casing 33 contains a chamber 35for the priming liquid which is discharged into the same from therespective feed pipe 29, the priming liquid being held therein by meansof the valve 36 which cooperates with a seat 37 within said casing. Thelower end of the casing is closed by means of a threaded plug 38. Thestem 39 of the valve 36 extends through a 'guide. opening 40 in theupper endot' the casing 33 and the valve 36 is held: normally closed bymeans of a coiled expansion spring l1 one end of which bears against theupper end of the casing 33 while the other end bears against a shoulderor flange l2 on the stem 39. Cooperating with the stem 3%) is the arm 43of a valve opening lever ll pivotally mounted at T5 on the valve casingA lever ll is used in connection with the stem 30 of each valve 36 andall of said levers -.l-.l are connected for simultaneous operation bymeans of a common connecting rod 16 which as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 extends through the dash 3 of the vehicle where it is provided with asuitable operating head or handle N. This enables all of the valves 36to be simultaneously operated and further enables said valves 30 to beoperated subsequently to and independently of the primary valves 10hereinbefore described.

The inner end of the spark plug is shown as provided, with an annularliquid distributing channel or groove lb within which is a concentricliquid guard 49 which operates to detlect the falling liquid away fromthe spark terminals of the plug.

Under the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 7, the reservoir 6"- isprovided with an auxiliary bottom chamber 50 which is.air tight andadapted to hold compressed air furnished by a pump or air compressor :51from which a pipe 52 leads into said chamber 50. The pipe 52 is providedwith a branch 53 over whiclrthc operator may place his finger whileforcing'air under pressure into the chamber 50. The feed pipes 29',under this arrangement, have their upper ends open and provided withfunnel-shaped receiving ends 54 to catch the priming liquid as itisreleased by the valves in the bottom of the reservoir 6. The arrangementjust described enables the priming liquid to be forced by pressurethrough the feed pipes '29 to the engine where the necessary fall forthe priming liquid cannot be obtained on account of their beinginsuliicient space in some cars under the hood and above the engine.

Under the arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 9, the reservoir 6 contains asingle controlling outlet valve 55 which has its stem {)6 arranged to beoperated by the same means and in the same manneras the stem or plunger19 shown in Fig. 3. In this case a valve seat 57 is formed centrally ofthe bottom of the reservoir (3 and beneath said valve and its seat thereis arranged a distributing chamber-5S to which the feed pipes 29" areconnected, the receiving ends thereof being arranged in a circularseries as shown in Fig. 9 while between the receiving ends of said feedpipes there is arranged a cone shaped deflector 0r distributer 59 theapex of which isin line with the center of the' valve 55. Thus as thepriming liquid is received in the distributing chamber 58 it isdeflected and distributed to the feed pipes 29.

In operation, the handle 25 is operated to open all of the primaryvalves 10 simultaneously thereby permitting the priming liquid .to passin equal amounts through the feed pipes 29 to the chambers of thecasings The handle is then released and the valves 10 are closed by thesprings ll. The operator then manipulates the other handle 47 andsimultaneously opens all of the valves 36 thus liberating the charges ofpriming liquid in the chambers 35 and permitting the same to pass intothe combustion chambers of the cylinders. The handle 47' is thenreleasedand the valves 36 are closed by the springs 41, said valvesthereafter preventing back fire. The heat from the engine causes anymoisture remaining in the feed pipes 29 to quickly evaporate and passout through the vents 27. The engine is then ready to start. Under thearrangement shown in Fig. 7 the operator places his finger over thebranch pipe 53 and then forces the air into the chamber 50, the valves10 being open to provide for the discharge of the requisite amount ofpriming liquid from the reservoir to each of the feed pipes :29, theliquid being forced by the air through said feed pipes. Under thearrangement shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the re lease of gasolene from thereservoir is controlled by a single valve which in connection with adistributer or deflector, causes the priming liquid to be directed anddistributed to the feed pipes.

I claim 1. A primer for internal combustion engines, embodying incombination, a reservoir for priming liquid, feed pipes for conductingsaid liquid from the reservoir to the cylinders of the engine, a springseat-ed "valve controlling the receiving end of each of said pipes, acommon operating bar for simul taneously unseating all of said valves,said bar being located with said reservoir, and manually controlledmeans for actuating said common operating bar.

' 2. A primer for internal combustion engines, embodying in combination,a reservoir forvpriming liquid, feed pipes for conducting saiddiquidfrom the reservoir to the cylinders of the engine, valve casings withinsaid reservoir to which said pipes are connectedpa spring seated valvecontrolling each of said pipes, located in one of said valve casings, acommon operating bar for simultaneously unseating all of; said valves,and manually controlled means for actuating said common operating bar.

3. A. primer for internal combustion engines, embodying in combination,a reservoir for priming liquid, feed pipes for conducting said liquidfrom the reservoir to the cylinders of the engine, a spring seated valvecontrolling each of said pipes, a common operating bar forsimultaneously unseating all of said valves, and manually controlledmeans for actuating said common operating bar, a second series of valvesadjacent to the discharge ends of said pipes, and means forsimultaneously operating all of the valves of the second series.

4. A primer for internal combustion engines, embodying in combination, areser voir for priming liquid, feed pipes for con ducting said liquidfrom the reservoir to the cylinders of the engine, a spring seated valvecontrolling each of said pipes, a common op erating bar forsimultaneously unseating all of said valves, and manually controlled,

means foractuating said common operating bar, a second series of valvesadjacent to the discharge ends'of said pipes, casings for the last namedvalves each embodying a priming liquid chamber, the exit of which iscontrolled by one of the last named valves, and means for simultaneouslyoperating all of the valves of the second series.

5. 'A primer for internal combustion engines, embodying in combination,a reservoir for priming liquid, feed pipes for conducting said liquidfrom the reservoir to the cylinders of the engine, valve casings withingsaid reservoir to which said pipes are connected, a. spring seated valvecontrolling each of said pipes, located in one of said valve casings, acommon operating bar for simultaneously unseating all of said valves,

' means for actuating said common operating bar, a second series ofvalves adjacent to the discharge ends of said pipes, casings for thelast named valves each embodying a prim.- ing liquid chamber, the exitof which is controlled by one of the lastnamed valves,

and means for simultaneously operating all,

of the valves of the second series, and a.

" spark plug for each of said chambered valve casings, each plug beingin communication with the respective chambered casing.

v 7. Ina primer for internal combustion engines, the combination of areservoir, a valve controlling-the discharge of fluid from saidreservoir, a conducting pipe arranged to 10 passage and embodying ameasuring cham- Oopies of this patent may be obtained for five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents ber, a feed pipe leadingfrom said reservoir to said valve casing, and a valve in said casmgforming a Wall of said measuring chamher.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature 15 Washington, D. G.

